Homemaking and Routine

The boys went back to school this week (big tears!) and we moved into the new house over the holidays. Now it is time to get serious! 
I am determined that a tightly organised homemaking routine will keep this house running smoothly. And determined to take this quote to heart and rid myself of the feminist baggage I am carrying (still!) about feeling that making a home isn't a 'real' job. 

Who doesn't love blogs like The Glamorous Housewife, Brocante Home and all the wonderful blogs that appear when you search for 'vintage homemaker' or '1950s housewife'. 

So for inspiration I am looking at the following posts:

How To Be A Good Wife - from a 1950s school textbook.
A 1950s Wife Guide Rules
The Modern Day 50s Housewife
This is a really detailed one from A Traditional Housewife Against The World. 
There are some great posts on The Retro Housewife Life, such as Greeting Your Husband Properly, Living A Selfless Life and Is This Really What Its ComeTo? 

And there are many more! 
I am also using a number of books, such as Large Family Logistics, which I love, Cleaning House, The Good Wife's Guide and Managers Of Their Homes, in the hope of setting up and implementing this.

The Real 1950s Cleaning Routine can be found here, at the The 50s Housewife blog. When I first read this post, I admit to thinking that is crazy, I don't have the time to dedicate to that much cleaning! But the author notes that she now has more time as everything is organised, there is no rushing around at the last minute trying to find necessary items and, as everything is in place, it is much easier to maintain.

Clutter is my cleaning nightmare. Over-accumulation is something I am working on. And once this is overcome, I am sure everything will run much more smoothly.

Last year, I set up my Home Management Binder, which is a recommended tool by most cleaning books and blogs. Now I will actually put some schedules in it.

We have all heard the sayings about 'Wash on Monday', etc. I intend to do this too, just mix it up a little to suit.

Daily Morning Schedule

Up and dressed
Prepare breakfast
Make lunches (if a work/school day)
Start first load of laundry (if not laundry day, there will only be one load for day)
Make beds
Tidy bedrooms as needed
Wipe down bathroom sink/cabinets/toilet
Check emails/blog (for half an hour - this is VERY hard to stick to!)
Feed chickens, collect eggs
Weed, plant and harvest (half an hour a day, plus extra on gardening day)

Daily Evening Schedule

Dinner and dinner clean up
Feed dog and cat
Check calender for anything needed for tomorrow
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Put away dishes, wipe down kitchen sink and bench tops

In between these two schedules will be slotted a different daily activity, depending on the day of the week.

Monday Is Laundry Day

Wash towels, bedding as well as normal laundry load
Ironing
Mending
At the end of the laundry session, clean laundry. Wipe down machine, sink, benchtops, tidy inside cupboards, cobwebs, wipe walls, sweep floor. (I have an outside laundry, so it gets pretty dusty).

Tuesday Is Kitchen Day

Baking for freezer - I also bake every second day for school lunches and use the freezer baking in between.
Make yoghurt
Make two freezer meals
Clean out the fridge and wipe clean
Clean oven
Clean all appliances
Mop floor
Take turns in cleaning different cupboards, drawers, pantry ie. first week of month, clean pantry, second week clean drawers, third week clean cupboards, fourth week clean canning storage area

Wednesday Is Office Day

Manage calender
Pay bills and check bank accounts to organise any transfers of funds needed
Make meal plans
Make shopping lists for groceries and any other items needed for following week ie. for school, sport activities
Make dentist, doctor appointments as needed
Sort library books to return
Plan blog posts for following week

Thursday Is Cleaning Day

Trying to embrace this concept!

Dust
Cobwebs
Vacuum
Clean TV and computer screens, mirrors and picture frames
Clean shower and bath
Plus one Deep Cleaning area each week (see below)

Friday Is Town Day

The boys' school has Chapel first thing on a Friday morning
After Chapel, Cuddlepie has Playgroup
Library visit
Bank, if needed
Assembly at school in the afternoon

Saturday Is Gardening Day

Dad is home, so this is the day we try to convince him to build stuff for the new garden!
Rake leaves
Sweep porch and paths
Mow lawn
Cut and stack firewood
Any big weeding/plant removal jobs
Clean out car (how do all those toys migrate from the house to the car every week?!)

Deep Cleaning Routine

As mentioned for Cleaning Day, this day will be different every week of the month as the Focus Zones change.
None of this should be too much hard work, if all the clutter has been maintained during normal clean up times. I'm not mentioning things that will have been done weekly, like dusting, cobwebs, vacuuming, etc.

Week 1 - Dining Room/Hall/Bookshelves

Dust bookshelves, including tops
Return any books that are floating around the house (all the time at my house!)
Polish dining room furniture
Clean light fittings

Week 2 - Bathrooms and Mudroom/Back Door Entry

Empty, wipe out and organise drawers and cupboards
Clean down that annoying crack between the shower and the bath (only a man who didn't have to clean it would have designed the bathroom like that!) and other corners and crevices.
Clean light fitting
Do a toiletries and medical inventory to see what needs stocking up
Sort out shoe shelf at back door
Cobwebs and sweep back door step

Week 3 - Bedrooms

Sort out bedside tables
Sort out wardrobe
Clean under the bed
Clean light fittings/lamps

Week 4 - Living Room

Pull apart the couches and vacuum
Dust DVD shelves
Clean light fitting

Say it to yourself, 'Housework rules, housework rules!'

Seasonal Chores - every three months

Wash windows
Sort clothing and shoes, put away seasonal clothing
Pull out major appliances, like fridge and washing machine, and clean

I am sure this will be a work in progress and will change as circumstances change (and I realise things I have forgotten to include!) But I feel it is a god starting place and certainly better than the haphazard way I have been working to date.

Are you ready to be a vintage housewife with me?!